A Slice of Smith Life: Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday: 2016

Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday: 2016

Today our family celebrated Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras (which is French for "Fat Tuesday) which is "the last hurrah before the Catholic season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday."

To celebrate we didn't make masks like last year or even have pancakes and bacon that is a traditional meal for this last day of feasting before the Lenten fast. We did go out to eat with my parents for dinner at Chick-Fil-A tonight savoring the chicken meal before abstaining from meat tomorrow on Ash Wednesday and each Friday in Lent.

As in years past, I did make our traditional King Cake and brought it to our Catholic co-op so all the kids could enjoy the sweet treat!

One of our students at co-op found the hidden Baby Jesus in her piece of cake which traditionally means she will be blessed and I've also heard that the baby finder makes the King Cake next year. :)
(To hide the plastic baby I pushed it underneath the cake after it came out of the oven.)

We will go to Ash Wednesday service as a family which marks the first day of Lent.

Here is a great video by Fr. Mike Schmitz about what Ash Wednesday is really all about:

I really enjoyed this post How to Explain Your Ashes: 3 Methods that gives simple ways to teach yourself and others about what that "dirt" is about all over your forehead. :)

Need any ideas to make your Lent this year meaningful? Be sure to read 25 Simple Offerings to Make this Lent a Time of Growing Closer to Christ. I really enjoyed looking over this list!

As in years past we will spend part of Ash Wednesday making our salt dough crown of thorns and as our family makes sacrifices we will pull out a toothpick. Then at Easter the crown will be painted gold and jewels will be glued to represent our King of Kings!

I will also set up our sacrifice bean jar where each time a sacrifice is made we put a bean in the jar and then on Easter the beans turn into sweet jellybeans! I printed out the Crown of Thorns Printable from Catholic Icing to add to our crown of thorns and bean jar traditions.

After we make our salt dough crown of thorns, we will "bury" the ALLELUIA since we won't be singing "Alleluia" again until Easter. Last year we started this tradition for the first time and here are some pictures from last year's "burial".

For a complete list of our Lenten traditions that we have done in the past you can visit my 7 Quick Takes post that explains all of them.

I'll conclude this post with this fun 2 minute video that creatively explains Ash Wednesday and Lent:

Have a blessed Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent!